OCUPIED JERUSALUEM: Israel opposition leader Yair Lapid strongly criticised the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to achieve the main goals of the conflict.
In a post on X, Lapid described the Israel-Iran ceasefire as a political disaster and claimed Israel had been left out of important decisions regarding its national security.
According to Yair Lapid, the Israeli military completed all of its assigned tasks and the public showed strength during the conflict, but Netanyahu failed politically and strategically.
“There has never been a political disaster like this in our entire history,” Lapid wrote. He said Israel was not even close to the negotiating table when the ceasefire agreement was reached between the US and Iran.
Benjamin Netanyahu had repeatedly said that Israel’s main goal in the war was to eliminate or seriously damage Iran’s nuclear programme. He described Iran’s nuclear activities as an existential threat to Israel.
The Israeli prime minister also wanted to weaken Iran’s ballistic missile programme, reduce Tehran’s influence in the Middle East and target Iran-backed groups operating in the region.
However, Lapid argued that none of these objectives had been fully achieved. He said it could take years to repair the political and strategic damage caused by Netanyahu’s leadership during the war.
The criticism comes after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire to avoid a wider war in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump announced the temporary truce and said both countries would continue discussions during the ceasefire period.
Israel has publicly supported Trump’s decision to pause military action against Iran. However, the Israeli government has also clarified that the ceasefire agreement does not include Lebanon.
The situation remains tense because Israel is still involved in fighting with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah began launching rockets toward Israel in March, leading to increased violence along the border.
Analysts say the latest ceasefire may reduce tensions between Iran and the United States, but uncertainty remains over Israel’s next steps and whether the truce can lead to long-term peace in the region.
